


Tempus Finis

by lu_woo, woobot (lu_woo)



Series: Tempus Finis [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:27:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24561556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lu_woo/pseuds/lu_woo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lu_woo/pseuds/woobot
Summary: One month after Kun's disappearance, Jungwoo begins to create a plan.With a veil covering his face and the memories of the past to push him forward, Jungwoo decides to aim for the throne.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Jungwoo, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Kim Jungwoo, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Series: Tempus Finis [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1403146
Comments: 22
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> { oh my gOSH!!! here we are finally!!! }  
> { i am SO excited to be in the sequel with you guys! }  
> { i hope you enjoy as much as i've enjoyed writing it!! } 
> 
> { also i've been writing a social media au on my twitter and that's why i haven't been updating ;; i haven't abandoned you guys!! }
> 
> { this fic begins exactly **one month after** the ending of [Dearly Beloved](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16984071/chapters/39921564) }

** 1111 813AW  **

_“I thought it would be what is best for you.” Kun pushes himself away from the bookshelf, stepping closer to Jungwoo as he continues. “Your eyes,” his fingers reach out, sliding along the side of Jungwoo’s face. “They’ve given you so much trouble, Jungwoo. Don’t you think if they were gone, things would be better for you?” Jungwoo takes a step back, biting down on his lip and shaking his head slowly. “You could live a normal life then. You would not have to worry about your eyes anymore. I want you to live a life that you deserve, Jungwoo.”_

_“Father,” Jungwoo whispers out, shaking his head quickly. “That is not-”_

_“They were going to give you a normal life, Jungwoo. One that you could live without a blindfold.”_

Jungwoo jolts up in bed, chest rising and falling quickly, his chest feeling tight as if he was being choked. Hands quickly scramble up to his neck, fingers clawing at the skin there, trying to pull away the imaginary force. The feeling has Jungwoo’s throat tightening and his hands fall down to the blanket, sinking in the fabric as he lets out a choked sob. His whole body is shaking, hands trembling as they press against his face, palms pushing against his eyes. 

“Jungwoo,” a voice says calmly, “Jungwoo, it’s okay.” 

Jungwoo doesn’t hear the footsteps, barely feels the bed dip down but when the hand on his back slides down slowly, Jungwoo lets out a cry. The hand on his back continues to move slowly, drawing shapes along the curve of his back. Sometimes it slows as Jungwoo’s sobs begin to quiet into small sniffles but then the moment another wave of cries rushes through him, the hand goes back to the soothing shapes. There are no words, nothing spoken between them, both knowing it’s best to simply let Jungwoo get it out instead of trying to talk through it. 

“You’re okay,” the voice says again once Jungwoo’s cries have come to an end, the only thing coming out of him are labored breaths laced with hiccups. “You’re okay, Jungwoo.” 

With a deep breath and a nod to himself, Jungwoo clears his throat, fingers reaching up to wipe at the last few tears that have slid down his cheeks. “I’m okay,” he says shakily between sniffles. 

There’s a handful of minutes that they stay like that. Jungwoo allows himself to lean into the figure next to him, allowing his body to relax, the sound of his guardian’s heartbeat making him nearly melt into him. As Jungwoo finds himself becoming sleepy, he pushes himself away, hands rubbing at his face with a sigh. 

His eyes open slowly, the first time since he’s woken up. The room is blurry, the multiple shades of darkness melting into one another. It takes him a minute of blinking and several rubs of his eyes until the room becomes clear. His bedroom is barely lit, only a candle on the wall and he sees one flickering to his side out of the corner of his eye. Jungwoo can see the way the gold on the wall shimmers under the light of the candles. He sees the way the small makeshift bed is messy, blankets thrown in all sorts of directions and pillows even more so. Jungwoo lets out a sigh, his fingers pushing through his hair, letting his hands fall onto the blanket, watching the way the sink into the plush fabric. 

“Johnny,” Jungwoo says, letting his fingers twist against the blanket, curling up to grab some of the fabric. “I told you to sleep in your own room.” Jungwoo tilts his head slightly, just enough to see the other’s legs on the bed. “It’s not comfortable for you to sleep here.” 

There’s silence between them, one that lasts longer than it should and Johnny breaks it with a sigh. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly, voice trailing off into silence once more. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Jungwoo says, hands pushing the blanket off of him, “Please don’t be here when I return.” Johnny only lets out a small hum, one that Jungwoo can barely hear as he pushes himself out of bed.

The floor is cold against Jungwoo’s bare feet, making shivers run up his spine. Fingers run through his hair slowly, ruffling up the locks as Jungwoo walks through his room and to the bathroom. His hand shuts the door behind him, the click of the lock echoing throughout the room. Jungwoo leans back against the door, hands coming to cover his face. Slowly, he slides down until he reaches the ground. Legs come up to his chest, arms laid on top of his knees and forehead resting on his arms. 

It isn’t the first time nightmares have woken him up. It isn’t the first time Jungwoo has felt something constricting around his neck, his arms and legs, holding him down to the bed. The dreams are always the same three things. Always of Kun, always of Jaehyun, always of Taeil. There’s rarely a night that goes by where Jungwoo doesn’t dream of one of them. Rarely a night that passes that he doesn’t see the death of his guardian playing in his mind, nearly exactly how it happened. When he doesn’t dream of Taeil he dreams of Kun, the look in his eyes when he told him that he had planned to make his life better. The look of sincerity in his eyes, a look that Jungwoo remembers being a positive one. Dreams of Jaehyun with his bow and arrow, aiming directly for him, Jungwoo desperately trying to run away. 

Jungwoo feels the sobs begin in his chest, feels them rumble up, filling him up until they pour over and his lips part to let them out. It’s been this way since he came back to the castle. Nightmares that make him afraid to go to sleep most days. Nightmares that have Jungwoo waking up feeling as though he can’t breathe, suffocating from something that isn’t there. There’s been times where Jungwoo has refused to sleep, trying to busy himself with reading or tidying up his already clean room. He’s exhausted though, even on days when he spends it in his room, doing nothing but laying in bed, Jungwoo feels like he’s run a marathon. It’s difficult to not sleep, especially when that’s the only thing he wants to do. 

With tears sliding down his cheeks, Jungwoo pushes himself off the floor. There’s still cries that have his chest fluttering, gentle hiccups that echo through the silence of the bathroom. With gentle steps, Jungwoo makes his way to the large vanity that is flush against the wall. Shaky hands grab the box of matches that are resting in a small tray, making quick work of lighting the candles that flank the mirror. It barely does anything to lighten the room, the two candles only giving enough light for Jungwoo to make out himself in the reflection, the rest of the room lost to the blurred darkness behind him. Even the moon that usually shines through the curtains is hidden, not bright enough to break through the fabric. 

Blond hair is fluffed up, strands in different directions, dryer than usual due to the recent bleaching. Jungwoo sucks in a shaky breath, one that makes him swallow a quiet sob, not wanting to cry anymore. Hands flatten his hair slightly before he reaches down and grabs his brush, letting it run through the locks slowly, not even caring that it’ll most likely get messed up again if he falls back asleep. The tears are wiped from his cheeks with the backs of his hands, wiping them on his pants to get rid of them completely. 

Jungwoo looks at himself in the mirror. The reflection that stares back at him is one that he’s not proud to be looking at. His eyes are swollen, whites red as can be from both the crying and the lack of sleep he’s gotten for weeks. His cheeks have sunken in slightly, no longer the plump ones that he was proud of. Even his usual vibrant colored lips seem dull and void of life. The Jungwoo that’s looking at him isn’t the one he’s used to. There isn’t any sparkle in his eyes, there’s no glow that matches the gold accents that he likes to wear. All he can see is a reminder of what he’s been through and he _hates_ it. 

Cold water is splashed on his face in a feeble attempt at making it all go away. He knows it won’t work but at least it makes him feel better, it makes him feel a little more alive, body shocked at the sudden temperature change. Jungwoo pats his face dry and fixes his hair once more before he blows out the candles. 

Johnny is not in his room when he returns, even his makeshift bed has been cleaned up, the only remnants left is one of the chairs being slightly off to the side. Jungwoo makes his way back to his bed, crawling into it slowly and letting himself melt into the blankets.

“Your meeting with the board has been denied,” Taeyong sighs, an envelope landing in front of Jungwoo on the table. “They refuse to meet with you.”

There’s the sound of a chair screeching against the floor and Jungwoo hears Johnny huff from his left side. “It’s not nice to open other people’s mail, Taeyong. You out of everyone should be well aware of that.” 

“Please,” Taeyong huffs and Jungwoo flicks his eyes up enough to see Taeyong’s arms cross over his chest. “This matter involves us as well. Technically it is all of our mail.” 

Jungwoo reaches towards the envelope, pulling it up off the table and over his plate of food. He slowly pulls the letter out, eyes narrowing at it as he reads through. “They refuse to meet with me simply because my father has not given permission? Kun is not here,” Jungwoo says firmly, fingers tightening around the thick paper. “Do they not understand? It’s not his place to decide if I meet with them or not!” 

“From what I gather,” Taeyong starts, hands laying flat on the table. “It seems as though Kun most likely put rules into place for you and one of them being that you’re not able to call for a meeting with the board and court.” Taeyong lets out a hum as he reaches forward to grab Jungwoo’s empty tea cup. “Similar to how no one is allowed to meet with you unless Kun is present.” 

“He didn’t want me making any decisions,” Jungwoo laughs out breathily, “Or even the chance to make any.” The letter gets put back in the envelope, the stark white item dropped onto the table next to Jungwoo’s still full plate of food. “Isn’t there any way for this rule to be inactive? Kun isn’t here and in absence of him, I’m the one to take his place. Don’t they,” Jungwoo pauses, teeth sinking into his bottom lip slowly, “Don’t they understand what’s happening?” 

Silence falls over the three, only the quiet sound of Johnny eating can be heard throughout the dining room. Jungwoo picks up his fork for a moment, only to put it back down, fingers lingering over the envelope that’s staring at him. The envelope that no longer has the large ‘K’ wax seal on it but rather an ‘RB’ for royal board, a seal that Jungwoo rarely ever sees. 

“Jungwoo,” Johnny says quietly, “You need to eat.” 

Most of the time, Jungwoo puts up a fight, claiming that he isn’t hungry. Today though, he slowly picks up his fork and begins eating. He eats slowly, only a few bites every several minutes, concentration elsewhere. With every bite, Jungwoo keeps his eyes on the envelope, letting the black cursive words that can be seen through the envelope consume him.

The castle is at a standstill.

There are no longer others wandering about the halls and lounging outside on the benches in the sun. The kitchens are quiet whenever Jungwoo walks in them, nobody even sparing Jungwoo a pause in their work like they used to. The gardens have begun to wilt, flowers drooping over sadly from more than just the weather beginning to turn cold. It’s an odd sight, to see the castle be so quiet, a feeling that Jungwoo has never experienced before. 

They know what has happened. They know that Kun has disappeared and that’s all that they care about. The West and the East know as well, having found out quickly through hushed whispers from the board and court only days after it happened. Jungwoo imagines that the other kingdoms are feeling much like his own, in a state of confusion, not knowing what they should do. 

Jungwoo is certain that there are plans in place for if something like this were to ever happen, if Kun were to ever go missing. Part of it has already happened, Jungwoo had been dragged into the meeting room the next morning, sat down in front of the guards and court to be questioned. It wasn't a serious questioning, not how they did with Johnny and Taeyong. They simply asked Jungwoo if he knew what happened and after a gentle shake of Jungwoo’s head, they let him go. 

At the time, Jungwoo thought it was odd, that they didn’t ask him more questions or demand more answers. Now though, as the envelope sits in his hands, he realizes why. They had no reason to suspect that Jungwoo was involved in Kun’s disappearance. Kun didn’t give Jungwoo any power, didn’t allow him access to any information that he didn’t approve of first. Jungwoo was helpless in the eyes of the court and board so there was no reason to believe that he had anything to do with the situation. 

Technically, Jungwoo didn’t. He didn’t do anything to Kun at the time of his disappearance. He was simply there, watching as he was Sicheng came and took him away. Jungwoo wasn’t directly responsible for his father’s taking but he was taken away because of him. The whole situation would have never happened if Jungwoo hadn’t escaped the South and came home. It would have never happened if Doyoung didn’t warn him that Kun had been behind it all. They never asked him that though. The guards never asked him to tell what had happened and even if they did, Jungwoo isn’t sure he would have said. 

He isn’t sure he would have said not because of any sort of guilt that he feels, absolutely not. He wouldn’t tell them because he knows that even if they did, they wouldn’t believe him. Why would they? Why would they believe Jungwoo when he’s been completely under Kun’s control for his whole life? They have no reason to suspect him, Kun most likely always reassuring them that he’ll be speaking for Jungwoo. 

Jungwoo never felt helpless when Kun was around. He never felt as though his father was stunting his progress as a future leader. He had always told him that he’s doing what’s best for him and Jungwoo never saw it as a negative thing. Kun has been ruling for a long, long, time, he knew what he was doing. And without a power that allowed Jungwoo to bring something to the table, Jungwoo felt that it also was best for him to only do the small amount that he was. He didn’t feel worthy of taking on more responsibility, not when his power could easily harm so many unintentionally. 

Now though, Jungwoo feels incredibly helpless. Jungwoo feels as though he’s stuck, not able to do anything about the situation. It’s obvious that Kun has put in rules and protocols for what Jungwoo is and isn’t allowed to do. He had potentially seen that one day something would happen to him and made sure to cover his bases, made sure that even if he for some reason was gone, that Jungwoo wouldn’t be able to take over. Even as Jungwoo sits in the throne room, body settled nicely on the throne, he feels terribly helpless. 

Fingers drop the envelope on his lap slowly. They reach up, pulling the veil back, letting it fall over the top of his head as Jungwoo presses his hands to his face, rubbing it slowly. It feels almost surreal to be sitting in the throne, the very seat that Jungwoo had always wanted to sit in. He had asked many times as a child, happily bouncing to Kun and asking him to take him to the big sparkling chair. Kun would always tell him that the chair was for very special occasions only, ones that involved extremely official matters. 

Jungwoo only got to sit in it once as a child. Once on the night of his thirteenth birthday. It had been Kun’s idea, bringing it up as he helped Jungwoo wash up for the night. He had offered the opportunity in honor of Jungwoo about to become fourteen, the year when powers begin to show. It’s by far one of Jungwoo’s favorite childhood memories, the last one he really remembers. The way he felt when he first sat in the throne, a chair much too big for him. The way he felt the power that it holds, felt the importance of the chair. Kun had promised that night that one day Jungwoo would be able to sit in the chair by himself, that one day he would take the throne himself. Jungwoo had thought it was exciting, thought it was exhilarating that he would get to lead a kingdom just like his father. That even though he knows Kun will outlive him, that he would give him the chance to be the king. 

As a child, Jungwoo had dreamed of ruling. He had always stood up on the chairs in the dining room during dinner, playing pretend with the others in the castle. Kun would dress him up in his oversized royal gowns and let him walk the halls, crown on his head and a bright smile on his face. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, he wanted to be a son that Kun could be proud of, wanted to be able to rule just like he did. 

Sitting on the throne like this now though, Jungwoo wonders if Kun had the same dreams as he did. If that promise was simply an empty one, one that gave Jungwoo hope. Because even when he’s supposed to be sitting here, crown on his head and the title of ruler, he’s still just Jungwoo. The same Jungwoo that hasn’t had any say in anything. A Jungwoo that can’t even fight for his rightful spot, a place that he believes rightfully belongs to him after what Kun did. Instead, he’s being forced to sit quietly and wait, wait for them to bring his father back. 

Jungwoo feels his chest expand with a deep breath. He scrunches his nose up, brows pushing together as he tears the envelope up, letting the pieces fall to the floor, white contrasting with the dark colors of the floor. It’s a letter that denies him of meeting with the royal board, denies him the chance of speaking out about what happened. It has Jungwoo’s throat tightening and his chest feeling heavy, knowing that he has no power.

Jungwoo holds meetings on Fridays. It’s not official by any means and the meetings only consist of him, Johnny, and Taeyong. They aren’t held to do anything but talk about their plans of actions considering that they can’t get an official meeting with the board. So Jungwoo has taken it upon himself to hold his own meetings, ones where they can talk about what happened, where he knows that he’ll be heard. Meetings that they must have because they all know that Kun will return.

Unlike before, Jungwoo doesn’t have a blindfold on. He’s got a thin white veil covering his eyes but nothing more. It’s not foolproof and he knows that his eyes can still affect either one of them if they share glances but Jungwoo trusts them enough to feel comfortable not wearing a proper eye covering. They don’t sit in the meeting room but Jungwoo’s room instead, all three of them seated across the room. 

Jungwoo is on his bed, legs hanging off the edge and hands in his lap. Johnny is seated on the large velvet chair that’s next to the window while Taeyong rests on the cushioned bench in front of Jungwoo’s vanity. The candles are lit, flickering against the darkness of nightfall that’s filling the room. Jungwoo has opened a window, white curtains fluttering occasionally due to the wind. It’s cold, the chilly autumn air pouring into the room, making Jungwoo shiver when the wind hits him. 

“What do you think I should do?” Jungwoo asks, his legs swinging against the bed. “I doubt there is anything I can say to convince the board to meet with me. Even then,” Jungwoo sighs, “It is not like they’d believe me.” 

“You’re right,” Johnny says, leg stretching out and body leaning back against the chair. “I don’t think they will budge on their decision unless Kun returns.” 

“You would think that they could trust the son of the king,” Taeyong sighs out. 

“It’s hard to tell if they even do. If Kun has put all these restrictions on Jungwoo, who knows what kind of information he could have been feeding them.” Johnny’s body slides back up in the chair. “We have no idea where the board stands. The only thing for certain is that we know they’re working hard to have Kun return. 

“Do they know?” Jungwoo asks, fingers curling into the blanket under him. “Do they know that he’s in the South?” 

“I would assume they have come to that conclusion.” Johnny groans out. “I doubt that they would think that Kun is simply hiding out in the West or East. The rulers know better than to disclose that kind of information and they’d probably be killed instantly if they were hiding him.” 

“I think it’s also safe to say that I don’t believe Kun is trying to hide right now,” Taeyong adds. “He has no reason to hide. He was not going to give up or give in to us when we confronted him.” 

“Taeyong’s right,” Jungwoo exhales. “He had an elaborate plan to have me killed and involved people from other kingdoms. Kun is not scared of anything.” Jungwoo shifts, one leg crossing over the other. “The entire compass runs under him. Not to mention that he’s immortal so,” Jungwoo’s words trail off into silence before he inhales sharply and continues. “He can do whatever he pleases.” 

“It’s only a matter of time before they send me down to the South,” Johnny says and Jungwoo hears the chair creak as the older one stands up, a groan pushing past his lips as he stretches his arms up. “Until then though, all we know is that Kun is there doing who knows what.” 

Jungwoo bites down on his bottom lip, legs untangling and heels pushing into the plush edge of the mattress. “When you go, may I come as well?” 

The question seems to take both Taeyong and Johnny by surprise, a silence filling the room. Jungwoo tilts his head up enough to watch as Johnny crosses his arms over his chest. “Why?” 

“Well,” Jungwoo starts, eyes focusing down on the floor. “Perhaps if I talk to Lucas, I can get him to convince the board to let me meet with them. Lucas is the one who has seen everything happen. He’s the one that protected me.” 

“That’s,” Johnny pauses, letting silence come between them once again. “Not a bad idea.” 

“Jungwoo,” Taeyong sighs as he pushes himself off the stool. “I don’t think you should go down there. Not only are Kun and Jaehyun there, which may I remind you once again they tried to kill you only a month ago,” Taeyong sighs out again, feet tapping against the hardwood until Jungwoo feels a hand on his back. “But I still do not know if we can trust Lucas.” 

A frown pulls Jungwoo’s lips down, one that has his brows scrunching together and his fingers gripping at the blanket. “I cannot truly trust anyone,” Jungwoo says softly, “but I need something, Taeyong.” Jungwoo tilts his head up slowly. He tilts it up enough for Taeyong to realize what he’s doing and soon the messenger’s eyes close and Jungwoo stares up at him. “I need to meet with the board. I need to gain control of the North.” 

Jungwoo watches the way Taeyong’s face scrunches and twists with Jungwoo’s words. Watches the way his shoulders deflate and his lips part slowly. “Even with Lucas, do you believe they’ll meet with you? Do you think it’ll really change their decision?” 

Over the last few days, the topic has been on his mind. The topic that lingers in with all the rest of the haunting thoughts that keep him up at night. The answer is that he doesn’t know. He has absolutely no idea. It’s likely that nothing is going to change their minds. The board is loyal to Kun, all handpicked and led by him. They’re under his control and with the new information of the rules that he had put in place for Jungwoo, who knows what other rules that Kun has put in place. 

The royal board is the main source of any kind of decisions that run through the compass. They are the lawmakers, the deal makers, the ones that are tasked with keeping peace within the compass. Under the board, each Kingdom has a court. They are the ones that analyze and discuss what goes on in their own Kingdom. They can implement small things such as building new shops, any kind of decisions regarding their own castle, and the land of their Kingdom in general. The courts keep peace in their own Kingdom whereas the board keeps peace between the Kingdoms. The only thing more powerful in decision making than the board is _Kun_. And Jungwoo realizes that without Kun in his position of power, the likelihood of the board making any decisions even if Jungwoo got through to a meeting with them, is very slim. 

“I don’t know,” Jungwoo says as Taeyong’s fingers run through his hair slowly, “I don’t know but I have to try. I have to take control before Kun returns.” 

“I’ll make arrangements to see if Lucas is able to come to the North instead,” Johnny says from across the room. Jungwoo looks over slowly to see him, watching as he pushes himself away from the windowsill. “It’ll be far too dangerous for you to go to the South right now. We don’t know what Jaehyun or Kun are doing.” 

“Well I don’t think it’d be a good idea for Lucas to come here either,” Taeyong adds, fingers slowly sliding out of Jungwoo’s hair, taking the time to adjust the clips of his veil before pulling away completely. “Not only do I believe it would look extremely suspicious but until we can confirm that we can trust him, I don’t think he should be anywhere near the castle.” 

“Can we meet in one of the other Kingdoms?” Jungwoo asks, slowly sliding off the bed, fingers curling around the bottom part of his shirt. “The borderlands would be too risky.” 

“Mm,” Johnny starts, “Another Kingdom is a good idea.” Johnny claps his hands together, startling both Jungwoo and Taeyong. “So we’ll go to the only other Kingdom that may have more guards than us. Even though I particularly don’t want to go there, it’ll be the safest.” 

Jungwoo tilts his head up slowly, eyes fluttering as he looks at Johnny, the taller one with his gaze locked on Taeyong’s. “What Kingdom?” 

“The West,” Taeyong replies quietly. “Johnny, are you sure?” 

“No,” Johnny laughs out with a scoff, “But,” he pauses, body slowly turning towards Jungwoo, allowing him enough time to tilt his head down. “This isn’t about me,” he breathes out. “This about getting Jungwoo the meeting with the board.” 

“I wasn’t aware the West had more protection than us,” Jungwoo says, pursing his lips out a bit. “Why?” 

“Well right now perhaps not since we’ve taken guards from the other Kingdoms,” Johnny says, “usually though they have a handful more of us.” 

“It’s because of Doyoung?” Jungwoo asks, feeling his heart skip a beat at the name of the other. 

“Precisely.” Johnny walks back over to the chair he was sitting on earlier, hands grabbing the bow that he had over his back. Slowly, he tugs the bow over his back and sucks in a deep breath. “And as much as I hate to admit this, Doyoung will be able to help you too, at least with getting a board meeting. He’s seen everything as well and he may know more about Kun’s plan than Lucas considering he was part of it.” 

“Oh I haven’t been to the West in so long,” Taeyong laughs out, “I know you don’t care much for Doyoung but I am more than excited to see him again.” 

“I’m sure you are,” Johnny whines and Jungwoo watches him poke Taeyong in the chest. “It’s a business visit so I’ll put my feelings aside, even if I don’t trust him.” 

“I don’t trust anyone,” Taeyong adds quickly, “Not one of them have proved that they mean anything good.” Taeyong pauses, body turning slightly towards Jungwoo before he continues. “It’s nearly dinnertime so I’m going to go check my mailbox and then head to the dining hall. Would you like to join or have me come back up when dinner is ready?” 

Jungwoo bites at his lip, not realizing that he was slightly spacing out while the other two were talking. “No,” he says quickly, shaking his head. “I think I am going to take a nap.” 

“Okay,” Taeyong responds softly, “I’ll be knocking on your door at seven though. You can’t skip dinner again.” 

Jungwoo lets out a soft laugh, the corners of his lips curling up slowly. “Yes, Taeyong. I’ll wake up, I promise.” 

The other two share a few more words together, both ending up laughing as they walk out of Jungwoo’s room. The moment the heavy door shuts, silence falls back over the room, the only vague sound filling it is the gentle sound of the wind coming through the window. 

Slowly, Jungwoo crawls onto his bed, hand sinking into the plush blankets that are laid on top. Fingers unclip the veil from his hair, setting it on the nightstand next to him. He takes his time getting comfortable, burying himself in the thick white blankets, the coolness of the silk sheets making his hair stand up on his skin. 

Jungwoo turns on his side, letting his hands tuck under the pillow, angling him perfectly, eyes meeting with the multicolored sky. As the wind blows and his curtains flutter with cold autumn air, Jungwoo can hear a voice in his head, Johnny’s specifically. Jungwoo has picked up a habit of sleeping with the window open, especially at night, and Johnny has scolded him for it many times over the last month. _‘It’s not good for your health and not to mention that it’s dangerous.’_ Johnny always shuts the window anytime he sees it open when coming to check up on Jungwoo, leaving him to wake up with a frown on his lips when he sees the window closed. 

Right now though, there’s no Johnny, and Jungwoo has scolded him enough now that even if he was there, he wouldn’t dare touch the window. With it open wide, the curtains fluttering off to the side and sunset nearly finishing, Jungwoo can see perfectly. Even with the horizon mixed with pastel colors, Jungwoo can see it brightly in the sky, illuminating the backs of clouds as they pass over it. 

As the clouds pass over the moon, Jungwoo closes his eyes, letting himself slowly drift into sleep.

Jungwoo sits by himself in the library. He’s seated in the old leather chair with the pieces of leather that are falling off, most of it due to his own picking over the years. It’s the first time that he’s returned to the library since the day of Kun’s disappearance. It’s uncomfortably quiet and there’s a thick haze that lingers, making Jungwoo’s body feel as though it’s a thousand pounds, feel as though he’s grounded to the chair he’s in.

There’s still a game of chess set up on the table. Pieces are knocked over, some linger on the floor, Jungwoo not bothering to pick them up even as he stepped over them to get to where he is. The window is still large, still looking out over the courtyard from high above. Jungwoo watches quietly as the gardeners work outside, attempting to give the plants as much love as they can before winter arrives with hope of even prettier flowers the next year. There’s guards walking around, weaving through the paths lined with shrubs and hedges, all of them taking their time to look around, as if they’re on watch for something. 

Jungwoo licks at his lips, fingers reaching up to tug off his veil, letting it fall onto the table, knocking another chess piece over. It’s not often that Jungwoo would sit in the library without Kun. It was a place for them to meet, a place for them to spend time together in their own little bubble. A place that Jungwoo used to curl up on the very chair he’s sitting on and read for hours while Kun did paperwork. Now, Jungwoo is thankful for the solitude, even if he never thought he would be. 

The silence and the distance from others allows Jungwoo’s thoughts to run wild. It’s what keeps him staring off into space for hours on end, practically disappearing from everyone only to have Taeyong or Johnny sighing out with relief when they find him. It’s not that Jungwoo doesn’t want to be around them, he enjoys their presence very much. It’s just that he doesn’t know how to feel around others. Taeyong and Johnny have been nothing but helpful towards him, and have done nothing but try to assist Jungwoo in overcoming the past months events. 

They try to take his mind off of it, taking him out on walks or setting up boardgames in front of the fire, all taking part in playing. Johnny is the first one in his room in the mornings, helping Jungwoo wipe his tears from any bad dreams he’s had. Taeyoung catches him up with any news, even the simple things like how a new shipment of wine is coming in and then talking about Ten, someone who Jungwoo misses. They try their best, they truly do, in trying to cheer Jungwoo up and make him feel even the slightest bit better. 

Jungwoo wants to feel better, he does more than anything. He wants the nightmares to stop, he wants the thoughts in his head to go away. He knows that some will never fade, some will never leave his mind but he has to try. Meeting with the board will be the first step. If they approve him and he’s able to tell them what happened, there’s a very slight chance that they’ll allow him to officially take the throne, even if it’s only temporary. That’s all he needs, all he needs is a little bit of time. Enough time for him to prove to everyone that Kun is not who he claims to be. 

There’s a knock on the door, one that has Jungwoo reaching for his veil quickly, snapping it into his hair. “Come in,” he says, pushing himself up in the chair, eyes cast downwards on the disheveled chess board in front of him. 

It’s Taeyong, Jungwoo can tell by the gentle taps of his feet as he walks towards him. “Jungwoo,” the other says, “this is for you.” 

The object is placed down on the table in front of him, Taeyong being more careful of the playing pieces than Jungwoo was. It’s an envelope but the one in front of him is much different than the ones he’s seen before. Instead of the pure white color, it’s pure black with gold around the edges. Jungwoo sucks in a breath, lips parting as he exhales at the sight of his name written in the middle. 

Jungwoo grabs the envelope, fingers turning it over to reveal a wax seal, a seal probably bigger than necessary but one that shimmers under the light due to the gold color. Part of the envelope rips as Jungwoo opens it, desperate to tug out the piece of paper inside. It’s a simple white square, one with only a small sentence written in the middle. 

“I would be happy to meet you,” Jungwoo says softly. He feels his heart begin to speed up, beats pushing against his chest and stomach starting to flutter. “Taeyong, he said yes,” Jungwoo breathes out happily, teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he grips the paper. “Now all we need is-” 

Before Jungwoo can finish his sentence, Taeyong places another envelope on the table. Jungwoo lets his eyes gaze down towards it, the deep purple color of it contrasting with the faded game board it’s on. “Doyoung responded as well.” 

In nearly the same fashion, Jungwoo opens up the other envelope, swallowing thickly as he pulls out the paper inside. Jungwoo can’t help the sigh that pushes past his lips. He doesn’t stop the way his lips curl into a smile and his body begins to buzz with excitement. “Jungwoo, it would be my pleasure to help you.” Jungwoo sits up in the chair, letting the letter drop onto the table as he runs his fingers through his hair the best he can without tugging off his veil. “Taeyong, this means we have a chance.” Jungwoo says eagerly. “If we can get enough evidence then I might get my meeting and that’s one step closer to getting the throne.” 

Taeyong doesn’t respond right away and Jungwoo feels his throat begin to tighten as he feels the odd aura coming off of Taeyong. The older one reaches out, hand gently landing on Jungwoo’s shoulder and Jungwoo swallows thickly, trying to push away the odd feeling. “It’s definitely promising,” Taeyong says with a squeeze of Jungwoo’s shoulder. “I suppose my question to you is do you trust them? Do you trust them enough to help you? I know you want to but you must think about this.” Taeyong sighs, “Remember what you have been through.” 

The answer is no, Jungwoo knows it’s a no and it has always been a no. Ever since he returned to the North, ever since Kun had admitted to his plan, Jungwoo decided that he can’t trust anyone. Even Taeyong and Johnny are barely trusted, Jungwoo only chooses so because he honestly has no other choice in people to be with him. He needs a guardian, no matter how much the residences of the castle want to ignore him, he knows he can’t walk around freely. Johnny and Taeyong have never given him a reason not to trust him, Jungwoo just can’t help but be weary of practically everyone. 

He knows that Lucas could betray him as well, especially with Jaehyun and Kun in his Kingdom, who knows what they have said to him. Then again, Lucas hasn’t given Jungwoo any personal reason not to trust him, there’s simply the horrible things that he’s heard about the South running through his head, despite having spent many days there, Jungwoo had a blindfold on, he didn’t see anything. Doyoung was part of Kun’s original plan, most likely knowing before Kun had even come to him with the offer to help. Yet Doyoung is the one that warned him about Kun and without that warning, Jungwoo isn’t exactly sure where he would be at the moment. 

Jungwoo bites down on his lip, hand reaching up to grab onto Taeyong’s arm, their silent signal letting Taeyong know that Jungwoo is going to look up at him. When he does, Taeyong’s eyes are shut, teeth chewing on his bottom lip as he waits for Jungwoo’s answer. 

“I have no choice,” Jungwoo says quietly, “I have to trust them enough for them to help me.” Jungwoo lets his hand slide down slowly off of Taeyong’s arm, his gaze falling at the same time, choosing to stare at the crystal belt around Taeyong’s waist, blending in with his white jacket. “Without them I have no chance of moving forward.” 

“If this works,” Taeyong starts, “you are aware that you will be starting a very dangerous game, Jungwoo. A game that includes the entire compass, not just the North, not just you. You are aware of what Kun is capable of.” 

“Are you suggesting that I sit back and wait for Kun to return?” Jungwoo huffs out, “We’ve discussed this, Taeyong.” 

“I know, I know,” the older one replies quickly, nearly cutting Jungwoo off. “I simply want you to be aware of what will happen if you take over the throne. It isn’t going to be easy, what you’re planning to do, Jungwoo. The moment Kun gets word that you’ve taken over,” Taeyong pauses, “I’m afraid that’s when it will get dangerous.” 

Jungwoo pushes himself out of the chair, the legs of it screeching against the worn floor. Taeyong takes a step back and to the side, not wanting to directly be in Jungwoo’s line of vision. Jungwoo sucks in a breath, gaze moving up as far as he can without locking Taeyong’s eyes. “I know it’s dangerous,” Jungwoo says, “Kun started this though and I want to finish it. I don’t want to live how I lived before all of this happened. I want the place that I deserve to have, the place that Kun promised me.” 

Jungwoo tilts his head, letting his eyes flutter closed for a moment, fingers reaching out to tap at Taeyong’s arm before his eyes open back up again, meeting with Taeyong’s closed one. “If this is a game,” Jungwoo laughs out, “Then let’s _play_.”


	2. Chapter 2

Jungwoo’s fingers slide along the small piles of lace that he’s laid over his bed. His teeth sink into his bottom lip, head tilting as he stares at the veils, contemplating which one to wear. There’s several lying in a row on his white comforter, ones of all different colors and small accents on them. The veils are ones that he’s had made for him, Jungwoo quietly had asked one of the maids that tends to his sewing about them one day, wondering if it was possible to have them made. At first she was confused, naturally wondering why Jungwoo wanted to wear veils instead of his blindfolds, the item he’s been wearing for nearly a decade. Thankfully, she didn’t put up a fuss when Jungwoo simply whispered that he wanted to try something different. Now he has dozens of them, the maid happily showing him all different kinds of lace whenever she returns from the village. 

Jungwoo’s hand grabs one of the white and gold ones, knowing it will go best with his outfit, the small golden leaves matching the gold accents on his clothes. He walks over to his vanity, sliding down onto the small stool that he pulled out when he was doing his makeup. Fingers reach up, fluffing his bangs into place before he slides the veil on, the gold clips snapping into his blond hair. Jungwoo takes a moment to fix the kinks in the lace, straightening the fabric, letting the ends tickle against his jaw. His eyes linger at the container of clips that is sitting in front of him and he tilts his head, debating whether or not to add more clips to his hair. 

He decides against it and straightens his posture, fingers tugging at his jacket. Jungwoo has chosen to wear his white outfit for the meeting, a choice he felt that he needed to choose. His whites are usually only for official business, meetings with other kingdom rulers, the board and courts, anyone of official status. That’s what this trip is, it’s an official meeting, one set up by Jungwoo himself to meet with Doyoung and Lucas, both respective rulers of their own kingdom. It feels good to be in white again. It feels _different._ Even though it’s not the meeting with the board that Jungwoo desperately wants, it’s a meeting, one that’s important, it’s his first official meeting without Kun by his side. First meeting without Taeil there as well. This is Jungwoo’s first meeting as Jungwoo, not as Kun’s son. 

The corner of Jungwoo’s lips twitch as his fingers run along the badge on his chest, the gold feeling cold to the touch. His index finger traces the pattern of the North’s crest, moving all the way in until it reaches the large ‘ _J_ ’ in the middle. Jungwoo’s tongue darts out, licking along his lips as he lets his eyes flutter closed, sucking in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, his veil gently wavering. His hands land on the vanity surface as he opens his eyes. Those hands reach forward, fingers curling around the cool gold of his crown that sits to the side. With careful movements, making sure not to tug his clips out of place, Jungwoo sets his crown on his head, eyes staring at his reflection in the mirror. 

The crown isn’t the biggest, it’s not like his father’s that is grand and full of embellishments. It’s much simpler, the small peaks having single, large diamonds on them, ones that glimmer as the candles on the vanity sway with the breeze coming through the window. It doesn’t fit all the way around his head, like Kun’s does. It instead sits on the top of his hair nicely, Jungwoo fluffing up his hair around it. The sight is slightly odd, Jungwoo hardly ever wearing his crown. Despite the fact that it’s rather lightweight, it feels heavy on his head, his head not used to it being on. 

With one last look at himself, hands tugging and patting down small crinks and out of place hairs, Jungwoo pushes himself off of his stool, bending forward to blow out the candles along his vanity, the hanging golden accents on his jacket hitting against one another, dings echoing throughout his room. Boots are heavy against the hardwood floors as he walks towards the door, his lips pursing in a gentle pout, blowing out the candle by his door before his fingers wrap around the handle and open it. 

Jungwoo is immediately met with Johnny, the older one rounding the corner in the hallway, head tilting down instantly. “Jungwoo, I was coming to see if you were ready.” 

Jungwoo licks at his lips, his head tilting as he sucks in a breath, letting it out as an airy laugh. “I’m ready. I had a hard time deciding which veil to use.” 

Johnny shifts, his hands coming to his waist and weight shifting to one leg. “Are you sure you want to wear your veil? I feel as though it will be safer for you to wear a blindfold.” 

“I know,” Jungwoo says with a hum, his boots tapping along the floor as he begins to walk, moving past Johnny, the other following him moments later. “I wish to wear my veil though.” 

Johnny doesn’t try to convince Jungwoo any further and instead follows him quietly as they descend the stairs. Jungwoo can tell that Johnny is slightly on edge, nervous if he was being specific, his aura pushing at Jungwoo’s back as they walk. He knows it’s because of the meeting, Jungwoo is also nervous about it, his fingers picking at each other and tugging on his jacket. He’s certain that Taeyong is just as uneasy as they are as well seeing as this meeting is big for all of them. 

It was a surprise to Jungwoo when Johnny suggested going to the West for their meeting. All of them are aware of Johnny’s dislike for Doyoung, one that was so powerful it led to physical altercation when they were there last. As far as Jungwoo is aware, Johnny hasn’t forgiven Doyoung either, though perhaps his dislike for him has gone down the slightest bit after Doyoung had warned Jungwoo about Kun. Though if anyone has a reason to distrust Doyoung more than Jungwoo, it’s Johnny who does. But at this point, they need _someone_ , they need some kind of light of hope for their plan and this could be it. 

Taeyong is waiting by the doors, his face buried in a stack of letters that he’s blinking at, fingers searching through them. It doesn’t take him long to notice them, his head tilting up only for a moment before he averts his gaze, his hands busy tucking the letters into his bag. “Jungwoo, Johnny, I’m assuming you two are ready to depart?” 

“As ready as I think I can be,” Johnny mumbles, making Taeyong nudge his arm as they gather together. 

“Jungwoo,” Taeyong says softly, “How are you feeling?” 

“I-” Jungwoo pauses, letting his teeth sink down into his bottom lip, “I don’t know.” Jungwoo’s arms come to his chest, folding against it, hands tucking in against his body. “I’m nervous that this will not work.” 

The thoughts have been there, racing around Jungwoo’s head at times where he relaxes, times where his room is silent, the birds having gone quiet and the sun begins to set. Even if this meeting goes well and Doyoung and Lucas are able to provide them with enough proof that Kun’s actions against Jungwoo were real, there’s no guarantee that the board will accept them, no matter how blatantly obvious the facts are. Jungwoo knows that trying is better than not at all, better than simply _waiting_. Time is ticking though and he knows that it’s only a matter of time before Kun returns, whether that be on his own or with the help of the royal guards. Jungwoo has to come up with a plan before that happens. He has to. 

“Regardless of whether or not you are able to meet with the board after this, at least Lucas should be able to give us information on Kun and Jaehyun,” Johnny says from beside Jungwoo. “It is possible that Doyoung has seen a new vision as well, one that could give us more insight on what will happen.” 

“Johnny is right,” Taeyong adds, his hand reaching out to gently curl around Jungwoo’s elbow, offering a soothing touch. “The least we can do is find out what Kun and Jaehyun are doing because I’m positive that even if they are not together, they both are doing more planning than we are.” 

Silence falls heavy over them, thick like a warm fur blanket that Jungwoo drags out of his closet whenever winter comes. Jungwoo knows that Taeyong is right, knows that wherever Kun and Jaehyun are, that they’re most likely planning something, whatever that may be. The thought makes Jungwoo’s chest tighten and his throat constrict in a thick swallow. 

“Come,” Taeyong says after some time, his hand sliding off of Jungwoo’s arm, “Let us go, we have a long ride ahead of us.” 

Taeyong leads, Jungwoo following after and Johnny behind him as they walk out of the castle and down the stairs. The sun is still rising and the autumn air is rigid, making Jungwoo’s body tense up due to the temperature. He watches as Taeyong reacts nearly the same way, his arms wrapping around himself, rubbing at his arms through his jacket. Taeyong is the one to open the door to the carriage, allowing Jungwoo to slide in first. Johnny follows after, filling in the space on the other side, scooting towards the window to let Taeyong sit next to him. 

It’s the first time that Jungwoo has been in a carriage since he returned home, the last time being when Taeyong stumbled upon him crossing the border. It’s an odd feeling, being in the carriage again and Jungwoo leans his head against the wall, eyes looking out the small window as they begin to move. His crown on his head slides to the left, the gold making the smallest of sounds as it hits the velvet wall of the carriage. 

It’s also the first time that Jungwoo is technically traveling alone without a guardian. The first time the spot next to him is empty as he goes to another kingdom. This trip, this meeting, is full of firsts for Jungwoo and it’s both nerve wracking and exciting. His chest flutters with both nervousness and anticipation, knowing that this is the first step into their plan, his first footsteps towards hopefully taking over the kingdom. Even if he barely knows anything about ruling not only the North but the entire compass, he knows he has to try. He has to become what he’s always dreamed of becoming, what Kun had told him that he could be, even if his father’s words were empty promises. 

Jungwoo is a prince, he’s pure royal blood, something that only him and Kun can proudly say that they have. Jungwoo is the son of the king who survived through the war, who created the kingdoms that are here today. Kun has incredible power in more ways than one and even if Jungwoo had been sheltered from royal duties, he still has been born from Kun. It’s in his blood to rule, it’s his _right_ to rule when his father is absent. 

And now more than ever, Jungwoo is determined to take what is rightfully his. 

They arrive at the West shortly before the sun begins to set. The sky still has dark hues of blue along the horizon, barely being able to be seen due to the castle. The air has become colder, so cold that when Jungwoo steps out of the carriage and takes a breath, it comes out in white puffs through his veil. Johnny and Taeyong let out small groans and whines themselves, bodies curling up in the cold. 

Even in the dark, Jungwoo can see the castle clearly, lights illuminating around the various statues, making the shadows along them even more contrasting to the white of the marble. The sight makes the castle look even larger than Jungwoo remembers, the walls looking as though they’re a mile high, hundreds of looming statues staring at him. Jungwoo’s lips press together, a thick swallow making his throat hurt as he stares at the castle. 

The three of them form a line, the same positions as before with Taeyong in the front and Johnny behind Jungwoo, both of them acting as guards for him. The closer they get to the castle doors, the more Jungwoo’s heart begins to speed up, his hands finding purchase on his jacket, tugging at the edges, trying to give him something to focus on other than his nerves. The moment they reach the first steps of the castle, the doors begin to open slowly. Jungwoo sucks in a breath, his head tilting down, preparing himself for whoever is at the door. 

“Jungwoo!” 

The person calling his name isn’t Doyoung. It’s not Lucas either. The person running down the stairs, happiness flowing out of him, is none other than Ten. Jungwoo can smell the thick scent of wine coming from the other, the same dizzying feeling overcoming Jungwoo the closer that Ten gets. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Ten says with a sigh and Jungwoo feels arms being wrapped around him, pulling him into a tight hug. 

“Ten,” Johnny says firmly from beside Jungwoo. 

“It is okay,” Jungwoo says with a smile, his own arms wrapping around Ten, making the smaller one laugh. “I’m fine,” Jungwoo replies as they pull away, his gaze lingering on Ten’s chest, his plum colored tunic feeling more than fitting for him. “How have you been?” 

Ten sighs and Jungwoo watches the way Ten’s hands slide along his sides until they reach his hips. “Fine I suppose. To be honest I’m not aware of most things. I do know about Kun though.” Ten clicks his tongue, sucking in a breath through his teeth. “Speaking of, I should take you to meet with Doyoung. He’s waiting for you in the chapel.”

“The chapel?” Johnny asks, “Is that not on the verge of collapsing? Why would he choose to meet with us there.” 

“Do you honestly believe that Lucas would be able to walk into the castle with no questions?” Ten says with a laugh. “Besides, It’s the most private spot for you to meet.” 

“Lead us there,” Jungwoo says with a smile. “I am eager to meet with them.” 

The walk to the chapel is an easy one. It’s long, feeling as though they’ve been walking for what must be close to an hour but as Ten said, after they passed through the castle and gardens, there hasn’t been a guard in sight. Most of the walk is Ten chatting with both Johnny and Taeyong, asking about everything under the sun. Taeyong and Ten giggle with each other, talking about what must be old memories, reminiscing since the last time they saw each other was many months ago. Ten does the same with Johnny, though his questions are more wondering what Johnny has been doing, questions much more personal than the ones he asked Taeyong. 

There’s a part of Jungwoo that is jealous that Ten is able to connect with Taeyong and Johnny like he is. How they’re able to chat about the past, about the times they’ve been together, and times they hope to have, making plans for the future. How Ten is able to ask such personal questions to Johnny, their friendship being strong enough for them to trust each other with the answers. Having _friends_ is what Jungwoo is jealous of. There are people he considers friends, sure, but most of those are the workers around the castle, people that interact with him every day, doing the daily tasks they’re told to do. They don’t spend time with Jungwoo because they want to, it’s because they have to and even then, there’s only ever small talk, all of them being there to do their job. Having friends isn’t something that Jungwoo is used to, his only true friend having been Taeil, the only person he could confidently call a friend. 

Johnny and Taeyong are nearly there, Jungwoo having become much closer to them over the last months for good reason. Doyoung could be considered one as well, in an odd way. He’s the one that he connected with the most, the person he felt himself falling into, allowing himself to enjoy the other’s presence. Lucas is practically the same, the taller one being a person that Jungwoo found comfort in, someone that Jungwoo felt safe with during his time, even if he was brought against his will. Lucas did what he thought was right, did what he could to save Jungwoo. They’re all there for Jungwoo, all people that Jungwoo has had some sort of special connection with. As much as he wants to call them friends, he simply can’t because he can’t trust them, not even Taeyong and Johnny if he’s being honest. 

“This is it,” Ten says with a sigh. “Doyoung is inside,” the smaller one hums, “Lucas should arrive shortly.”

“Are you staying?” Jungwoo asks, his head tilting towards Ten’s direction, veil fluttering in the wind, the fabric tickling against his nose. 

“I wish I could,” Ten admits, “Since I am not part of the meeting, I feel like I would be intruding. Besides, I believe Doyoung only wants to talk to you three.” 

“Very well,” Johnny says, “Thank you, Ten. We’ll make sure to say goodbye before we leave.” 

“Yes please!” Ten says with a smile. “I’ve recently finished a new batch of wine that I would love for you to take home.” 

Ten wishes them each good luck, his presence lingering even after he walks away, the distinct smell of wine still ripe in Jungwoo’s nose even as the other’s footsteps in the grass fade away. When Ten has gone, they are left with silence, the wind stilling for a pregnant pause. Johnny is the first one to step forward, Jungwoo watching as he disappears out of his sight. Jungwoo follows him slowly, his shoes pressing into the cold and dying grass due to the upcoming winter. Taeyong is close behind Jungwoo, his steps coming only seconds after Jungwoo’s. 

There’s a loud creak of what Jungwoo assumes is the door to the chapel. The smell of stagnant wood overwhelms him as he steps inside behind Johnny. Beneath his boots, Jungwoo sees the array of weeds that have grown through the lines between the wooden boards. Most of them come as high as his knees, Jungwoo bumping into them as he walks. Some are shorter, more like grass blades shooting out, desperate for any kind of warmth to continue growing throughout the winter. Every other step he takes, the boards creak and groan under him, the old wood not used to the presence of others. 

Jungwoo takes a moment to look up, his gaze being met with Johnny’s back, his green colored blazer being illuminated by the beams of setting sunlight that have come through the building. To his side, there are several large windows in a row. Most of them are empty, completely void of the glass that used to occupy the space. The window in the middle however, is still intact, a beautiful array of colorful stained glass turning the sunlight a different color as it passes through it. The pews off to either side, have cracks throughout the wood, some of them even crumbling down to the ground, sharp pieces of wood sticking out in different directions. Jungwoo wants to look more but when Johnny stops in front of him, Jungwoo quickly tilts his head down. 

“Doyoung,” Johnny says. 

“Johnny,” the other replies and the sound of Doyoung’s voice makes Jungwoo’s heart skip a beat. “A pleasure.” 

Hearing Doyoung has made Jungwoo realize that he didn’t sense the other when he walked into the chapel. There was the smallest inkling of change around him but it wasn’t Doyoung. It’s rather odd for Jungwoo not to be able to sense someone when they’re nearby, especially someone that he’s encountered more than once. Someone such as Doyoung who Jungwoo has had the most intimate moments in his life with, a person he’s shared kisses with, a part of his life that Jungwoo has only Doyoung to share with. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’re in a place with overwhelming feelings, the chapel holding its own aura that possibly overwhelmed Doyoung’s. The realization makes Jungwoo bite down on his own lip, wondering if it could be his fault that he didn’t sense the other. There’s a chance that Jungwoo could lose his talent for being able to sense those around him, a skill he developed over time due to his blindfold, Jungwoo having to rely on other senses to go about his daily life. Without his blindfold, Jungwoo still is not allowed to look around as a normal person does but he can see the world around him now. He can see where he’s walking, he can look from side to side and take in some of the scenery. It may be silly but Jungwoo enjoys having his ability to sense those around him and the momentary fear that he might be losing that, makes Jungwoo’s lips curl down into a frown. 

“Jungwoo, Taeyong,” Doyoung adds and the sound of wood creaking and boots tapping against the floor is what makes Jungwoo tilt his head up more, his eyes being once again met with Johnny’s back. “Welcome.” 

“You really couldn’t have picked a better spot?” Johnny sighs, “There’s nowhere even for us to sit.” 

“Johnny,” Jungwoo says softly, his hand reaching out to bump against Johnny’s arm. “I am grateful that you agreed to meet with us, Doyoung.” 

“Of course,” the other says, “And I do apologize for not having a proper meeting area for us. As you can imagine, the castle isn’t exactly fond of Lucas and there will already be questions as to why you three have come and there would certainly be more if Lucas showed up in the foyer.” 

Jungwoo tilts his head, his lips curling up into a smile. “It’s funny to me now how everyone is so afraid of Lucas. He has done nothing but good for me.” 

“Must I remind you that Lucas is also attempting to court you, Jungwoo.” Doyoung adds. “Even though he was not involved in Kun’s plan, he is the leader of the South and he is responsible for many terrible things.” 

“I do hate to interrupt but we are here to discuss a plan,” Taeyong quickly interjects. “As you said, the castle will certainly be suspicious if they have a single inkling that Lucas is here so we should use our time wisely.” 

“Taeyong is right,” Doyoung sighs, “We will not have much time so please,” he says and his footsteps echo throughout the chapel quietly. “The pew in the front row is still intact.” 

Johnny is the one to lead Jungwoo, his hand coming out for support as they walk along the broken wood underneath them. Jungwoo grabs onto his hand, fingers curling around his palm, grip tightening as his feet wobble against the ground. Despite the rest of the area being nearly broken beyond repair, the pew that Doyoung has asked them to sit in, is in rather good condition, standing out from the rest of the chapel. There’s small cracks and scratches here and there but it’s still whole and only creaks the slightest as Jungwoo sits. Taeyong settles next to Jungwoo, his pure white pants contrasting against the darkness of the worn wood. Johnny chooses to stand across from Jungwoo, his weight shifting back and forth between each leg as they wait. 

There’s a heavy feeling that begins to build and build, one that makes Jungwoo’s hands come together on his lap, his thumbs bumping against one another. It’s a weight that makes Jungwoo’s body feel as though it’s nailed to the pew he’s seated in, a weight that’s distinctly Lucas and it makes Jungwoo suck in a breath when he hears the creaking of the door behind them. 

“I hope you have not started without me,” a deep voice says, Lucas’s words make Jungwoo smile. 

Jungwoo stands up, his body turning to look towards the door, veil fluttering with the sudden movement. “Lucas,” Jungwoo says breathily. 

A hand on his shoulder, one belonging to Johnny stops Jungwoo from taking the steps he wants to. Jungwoo relaxes slightly, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. “We are here for business, Jungwoo. Small talk can come later.” 

Jungwoo knows that Johnny is right, as much as he wishes to wander over to Lucas and talk to him, he knows that they don’t have much time and there is a good chance that this will be their only meeting all together if he is unable to convince the board. Jungwoo is powerless and if they caught them all how they are now, there would most likely be a heavy punishment for all of them. This meeting is important, it’s what’s going to determine their next move, and it’s a meeting that needs to be able to give Jungwoo enough evidence to prove that Kun has done terrible things to him. It _needs_ to be the meeting that allows Jungwoo to prove that he has to take over the throne. 

“I hope you all don’t mind that I’ve brought Sicheng along.” Lucas continues, the floor creaking under his steps. “He will keep watch for us.” 

“Is he outside?” Doyoung asks. 

“Yes, he’s right outside the door and his ghosts are stationed around the perimeter.” Lucas says and Jungwoo can practically feel the smile growing on Lucas’s lips. “He’ll let us know if anyone is near.” 

“Please give him my thanks,” Doyoung says with a clearing of his throat. “Now then, since we have all arrived, shall we begin the meeting?” 

Jungwoo straightens his posture, his hands coming up to adjust his crown on his head. He sucks in a breath slowly, letting it out with a gentle nod. “Right,” he starts, his hands coming together in front of him. “As I told you both in the letter, the board refuses to meet with me. You two are the only ones that are aware of what has happened to me regarding Kun. If you both can somehow help me convince them of my father’s actions, I can hopefully take over the North.” 

“Do you believe they’ll take our words over their loyalty to Kun?” Doyoung ponders, “There is a chance that even if we present exactly what happens they won’t turn their backs to their king.” 

Jungwoo presses his lips together, his head nodding as he lets out a sigh. “It is a terribly high possibility that they simply won’t bat an eye at our words. It’s the only possibility I have though. I need to try.” 

“The North’s guards are doing everything in their power to attempt to retrieve Kun,” Lucas adds, “It’s rather obvious that they are adamant on returning him home.” 

“I would hope that you do not have him kept somewhere that he can easily be taken, right Lucas?” Johnny says, his voice rather low and it makes Jungwoo tilt his head towards his guardian. 

Lucas lets out a laugh, one that nearly echoes through the decaying chapel. “Johnny, you out of all people should know how the cells in the South are.” 

“And what of Jaehyun?” Taeyong asks. “Surely he is also still in your care.” 

“Of course,” Lucas says. “They both are being monitored at all times by multiple guards and Sicheng’s ghost. If either of them make any attempt to leave or have the slightest possibility of being taken, it would be stopped immediately.” 

There’s a slight tightness in Jungwoo’s throat at the thought of his father being locked up. It’s an odd feeling, one that Jungwoo certainly didn’t expect himself to have, not wanting to have any kind of worry for his father’s well being. Yet it’s there, lingering like an undercurrent in his veins because Kun is still Jungwoo’s father, the only family he has left. 

“Say the board agrees to meet with you, Jungwoo,” Doyoung says, bringing Jungwoo out of his thoughts. “Even if they allow you to become King, what shall you do?” 

“I-” Jungwoo pauses, letting the breath be taken out of him slowly. What will he do? Yes, he will be the ruler but what will he _do_. 

“Please pardon me if I sound rude but you have no experience ruling, Jungwoo.” Doyoung continues and Jungwoo bites down on his bottom lip. “Gaining control of the North is certainly important but that will not fix the problems at hand.” 

“Doyoung,” Johnny says through his teeth. 

“Johnny,” Jungwoo sighs, “Doyoung is correct.”

“If Kun and Jaehyun remain in Lucas’s care, then there isn’t anything to worry about.” Johnny says and Jungwoo can hear the jingling of his badges on his jacket. “Unless you plan on letting them go at some point?” 

“As if I would allow them to leave on purpose,” Lucas scoffs, “They tried to kill Jungwoo and I believe by everyone in the compass’s standards, that is terms for imprisonment without release.” 

“The problem is,” Doyoung suddenly says, “No one was supposed to know that Jungwoo was going to be killed. Kun had told me that he would have announced to the kingdom that Jungwoo had passed from natural causes. As far as I know as of now, no one in the courts or board is aware that the whole plan was put into place. And as we already know, it’s not a claim that they believe easily.” 

“What will we do then?” Taeyong sighs, “I hate to be the negative thought in this situation but no matter how strict your cells are, Lucas, Kun is far more powerful than we can imagine. I highly doubt that he isn’t already concocting a plan to escape, one that will most likely succeed.” 

There’s a tension in the room that makes it hard to breathe. Jungwoo shifts against the floor, the boards creaking under him and a patch of weeds brushing against his leg. As much as Jungwoo would like to trust that Lucas will not let his father and Jaehyun out of his control, there’s always a possibility. As Taeyong said, Kun is powerful, arguably the most powerful person in the entire compass. Legally, people will bend and break for him, wanting to do anything for the King. Kun knows that, he knows his power and he will use it, just as he used it for his plan involving Jungwoo, a plan that has been years in the making. There is no doubt in Jungwoo’s mind that Kun has something planned, a way to escape the South. And time is ticking, Jungwoo can feel it. 

“Doyoung, have you seen anything?” Taeyong asks quietly from beside Jungwoo. 

“Nothing cohesive. I’ve gotten bits and pieces of scenes but I can barely make them out.” Doyoung sighs. “I’ve even brushed them off to nightmares instead of actual visions.” 

“My father,” Jungwoo starts and he slowly feels everyone beginning to look at him. “Taeyong is correct, he will make his escape, no matter how much we all attempt to stop it.” Jungwoo tilts his head, allowing his vision to move across the room. He sees Johnny’s green pants, Doyoung’s black ones, and Lucas’s velvet pants before he closes his eyes slowly. “I believe when I take over the throne, whatever plan he has created, will go into place.” 

“You believe he’s already figured out that you will go after the throne?” Lucas asks. 

“I don’t believe he thinks it will work but I am certain that he is expecting it.” Jungwoo sighs. “I am certain that he doesn’t think I will simply sit and wait.” 

“So what should we do?” Johnny asks and Jungwoo can feel the older one shift next to him. “Assuming you are able to take the throne and Kun’s plan does go into place, whatever it may be, then what? How are we supposed to predict what will happen?” 

“Well,” Jungwoo says, tongue darting out to lick at his lips. “Kun may have a plan but he doesn’t have any followers in the South. None of the guards are with him and if I am able to convince the board about what happened, hopefully they will become loyal to me.” Jungwoo tilts his head. “I know there will be some that will stick with Kun no matter what but that number won’t be what it once was.” 

“Right,” Lucas says, “Kun is in isolation and the only people that have seen him are my guards and Sicheng, all of which would never follow his word.” 

“Undoubtedly, Kun will come after me,” Jungwoo starts, his throat beginning to feel tight at the words coming from his own mouth. “I don’t think he’ll be able to have any accomplices with his plan.” 

“You think it will simply be him coming for you?” Johnny asks. 

“I’m sure it will be more than just him, Kun will find a way to gain some sort of helpers but it won’t be like before.” 

“He won’t have people from other Kingdoms to help him,” Doyoung hums. 

“Kun may not have people helping him from other Kingdoms but,” Jungwoo pauses, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip for a moment before he lets his lip slide out of his grasp. “That doesn’t mean I can’t have help.” 

“You want to form an alliance?” Johnny asks. 

“I think that would be best,” Jungwoo nods. “Whether I am given the throne or not, I will need assistance.” 

“Well, I’m certainly in,” Lucas says with a laugh. 

“I am as well,” Doyoung adds. “I would like to help you the best I can.” 

There’s a happiness that bubbles up in Jungwoo’s chest, one that practically overflows in him. He has Taeyong and Johnny, yes, but neither of them have powers and Johnny has simply just learned how to use a bow. With Doyoung and Lucas’s help, his power grows considerably. While Doyoung does not know how to use a weapon, at least not to Jungwoo’s knowledge, he has the ability to see the future, something that can be helpful, a way for Doyoung to warn them about important events happening. Lucas is the leader of the South, a powerful one that people cower under and will without a doubt, run from fear if they see him. 

It isn’t perfect yet, Jungwoo doesn’t have the royal army on his side or hundreds of guards and soldiers at his side. Even if and when he takes the throne, he’s certain not all of them will assist him but if he can gain a considerable amount of them, it will help as well. Jungwoo knows that Kun will be planning something big, a revenge of sorts for ruining his plan and as hard as it is for Jungwoo to think about it, he’s sure it will be another life or death situation, his father obviously not caring about his life. That being said, Jungwoo has to act fast, he has to come up with a counter plan, one that will protect him. With everyone around him on his side now, he lets his lips curl up into a smile, knowing that he’s one step closer to that plan. 

“Okay,” Jungwoo says with a gentle laugh, his hands coming together in front of him in a clap. “Then as our first order of business, we need to secure the throne.” 

“Right,” Lucas says happily, “I will write a letter to the board explaining what has happened.” 

“I will do the same,” Doyoung adds, “I also have records of my past visions and letters that Kun has sent me.” 

For the first time in Jungwoo’s life, he feels as though he has control. It makes him smile, his fingers curling into the spaces between each other, hands holding themselves to his chest. The happy moment is broken quickly when the door opens behind them. Jungwoo is the first to react, his head tilting down instantly and he can feel Johnny move closer to him. 

“We got guards,” a familiar voice says. Jungwoo peeks his head up to see Sicheng standing in the doorway, the boy in a similar outfit to the one he saw him in before. Black velvet and gold that shimmers in the sunlight. 

“I suppose that is my cue,” Lucas says with a laugh. “It’s been a pleasure, everyone.” 

As Lucas takes a step, Jungwoo pushes his way past Johnny, his feet taking him quickly towards the taller boy. “Lucas,” Jungwoo says quickly. Jungwoo keeps his head down, his gaze meeting with Lucas’s chest. “I never got a chance to thank you.” 

“Thank me for what?” Lucas asks. 

“For saving my life,” Jungwoo smiles. “If it was not for you, I surely would have been dead.” 

A hand lands on Jungwoo’s shoulder and Jungwoo tilts his head up just enough to see the smile on Lucas’s lips, a sight that Jungwoo has never seen before, a sight that has his heart fluttering. “Don’t underestimate your powers, Jungwoo. You had just as big of a part in your safety as I did.” 

“Lucas,” Sicheng says and Jungwoo tilts his head, looking past the taller one to see Sicheng waving his arm towards the door. “Come on.” Within seconds, Lucas is gone, both him and Sicheng disappearing out of sight as the door creaks behind them, bumping harshly against the frame as the door swings shut. 

With no one in front of him, Jungwoo is able to look straight on, his eyes watching as the weeds blooming along the walls of the chapel wiggle with the wind that blows through the cracks. The large holes in the walls allow him to see that the sun has nearly set completely, the trees and grass becoming one solid color, the horizon of the sky having turned a dark blue. 

“It is late,” Doyoung says from behind him. “May I offer you all to stay the night? I would hate for you to return to the North in the middle of the night.” 

Jungwoo lets his lips curl up into a smile as he nods his head. “That sounds lovely, Doyoung.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> { im debating on if i want shorter more frequent updates or longer more spaced out updates -- what do you guys think? 🥰}  
> { i hope you enjoyed 💕}

**Author's Note:**

> { [Tempus Finis world information](https://tempusfinis.carrd.co/#) | [twt](https://twitter.com/buttercupwoo) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/wooberry) }


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